Alpine Team Principal Oliver Oakes welcomes the Renault Group’s decision to abandon its Formula 1 engine project, saying “I want the best engine.”
Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo led the marque to abandon its longstanding F1 engine development in Viry-Chatillon, with Alpine confirming it will switch to being a customer F1 outfit at the end of 2025.
Alpine is touted as a future Mercedes F1 engine customer, despite the negative reaction from Viry staff.
Oakes, who became Alpine Team Principal in August, has welcomed the decision as Renault power units have been a step off of the competition since hybrid F1 engines were introduced in 2014.
“Everyone in the team has a lot of admiration and respect for the people in Viry,” Oakes told RacingNews365.
“I think, cruelly enough, as team boss I just want to have the best engine and race it. That’s what it’s all about.”
Historic success matters little for Alpine F1
Before F1’s hybrid era led to Renault’s downfall in the engine department, the French marque produced several title-winning power units.
Viry powered Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel to four consecutive titles from 2010 to 2013 and Fernando Alonso won his 2005 and 06′ titles with the Renault works team.
In the 1990s, Renault was the dominant force in the F1 engine market, winning titles with Williams in 1992, ’93, ’96 and ’97 and with Benetton in 1995.
However, since Renault rebranded its Enstone team as Alpine in 2021, it has achieved one surprise GP victory in three and a half seasons.
After finishing a strong fourth in the 2022 Constructors’ Championship, Alpine finds itself in a lowly ninth in the 2024 standings, having amassed just 13 points across 18 rounds.
With the cost of producing an F1 power unit equating to roughly $120 million a year, and a customer engine deal a fraction of this, Renault’s decision is grounded in logic.
As a result, Viry will end its association with F1 engine production which began back in 1977.
“I would say Viry and Enstone have a great history,” Oakes said.
“But I would also say that nobody cares what’s under the bonnet if you win – and I mean that very nicely.”
READ MORE: Renault to cease work on F1 engine plans as Alpine prepares for customer switch
